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A review by emtees
Cinnamon Blade: Knife in Shining Armor by Shira Glassman
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was my surprise read of 2023 Trick-or-Treatathon. I loved this so much and I wasn’t expecting that at all.
Cinnamon Blade was once a world-class thief. Now she’s a superhero, convinced by her childhood friend Captain Werewolf that her skills could be better used to help people. And in the course of her team’s adventures against vampires and mad scientists, Blade has had multiple opportunities to save the beautiful, charming, quirky Soledad. The chemistry has always sparked between them, so when they finally get a chance to meet under less stressful circumstances, it isn’t long before a hook up is on the table. Their first time is interrupted by Blade’s work (aliens, you know) but the two women are determined to make it through a date eventually. It’s too bad the restaurant they picked has attracted the local vampire population…
This novella was just fun. First, there were the characters. Cinnamon Blade is a great superhero name and the woman behind it is a nice mix of snarky and serious. I loved her confidence as the only non-powered person on her team and in her relationship with Soledad. She was so determined to make sure Soledad got to live out her fantasies. Meanwhile, Soledad was possibly the cutest love interest ever - funny, incredibly nerdy, able to hold her own when a vampire interrupted her date. I loved that both the women’s cultures - Soledad is Latina, Blade is Jewish - were incorporated so naturally into the story. The chemistry between the two was very nice. The sex was hot and I loved that for them.
I also liked the supporting cast of Blade’s team, even though we didn’t get to know any of them well. The love for the superhero genre came through - Blade and Soledad’s initial relationship felt like a classic hero/victim pairing, and the superpowers of all Blade’s fellow heroes were very creative. Glassman did a good job of making the world feel very complex and lived in despite how little time we spent there. I would love to see another story set in this universe.
Cinnamon Blade was once a world-class thief. Now she’s a superhero, convinced by her childhood friend Captain Werewolf that her skills could be better used to help people. And in the course of her team’s adventures against vampires and mad scientists, Blade has had multiple opportunities to save the beautiful, charming, quirky Soledad. The chemistry has always sparked between them, so when they finally get a chance to meet under less stressful circumstances, it isn’t long before a hook up is on the table. Their first time is interrupted by Blade’s work (aliens, you know) but the two women are determined to make it through a date eventually. It’s too bad the restaurant they picked has attracted the local vampire population…
This novella was just fun. First, there were the characters. Cinnamon Blade is a great superhero name and the woman behind it is a nice mix of snarky and serious. I loved her confidence as the only non-powered person on her team and in her relationship with Soledad. She was so determined to make sure Soledad got to live out her fantasies. Meanwhile, Soledad was possibly the cutest love interest ever - funny, incredibly nerdy, able to hold her own when a vampire interrupted her date. I loved that both the women’s cultures - Soledad is Latina, Blade is Jewish - were incorporated so naturally into the story. The chemistry between the two was very nice. The sex was hot and I loved that for them.
I also liked the supporting cast of Blade’s team, even though we didn’t get to know any of them well. The love for the superhero genre came through - Blade and Soledad’s initial relationship felt like a classic hero/victim pairing, and the superpowers of all Blade’s fellow heroes were very creative. Glassman did a good job of making the world feel very complex and lived in despite how little time we spent there. I would love to see another story set in this universe.